Crystal Lake South H.S. Student To Graduate in May from High School and McHenry County College

Crystal Lake South High School student Laura Arboleda will graduate this May
with her high school diploma and an associate degree from McHenry County
College (MCC).

In fact, she will receive her MCC degree two weeks before her
high school graduation. She plans to transfer in the fall to University of
Florida in Gainesville, to pursue a bachelor’s degree in architecture.

Arboleda wanted to get a jump-start on college and save money on tuition, so she enrolled in the Running Start program at MCC in summer 2010, where she started earning credit for college while still attending high school.

“I realized that taking classes ahead of time would save me a considerable amount of money and I would accomplish my educational and career goals faster,” Arboleda said.” It became my goal to try to obtain as many credits as possible to transfer to a four-year school in the fall after high school graduation.”

“The last three years have been challenging, but I am so grateful to all the people who have been supportive of me through the whole thing,” Arboleda said. “I am very happy and proud of myself for achieving this huge accomplishment. It wasn’t that easy to do, but if you really want something badly enough, you can accomplish it.”

She was taking a full load of classes last fall at both high school and MCC. When she completed her high school graduation requirements in January, she became a full-time student at MCC. She even took extra classes that interested her, but were not required for her degree, such as interior design, photography and drawing.

“It was hectic, but my high school counselor, Mr. Brett Collins, helped me out a lot with arranging my schedule to allow me to leave high school early to get to my classes at MCC on time.”

Another counselor at MCC who helped her throughout the past three-year process was Luisa Lauf. “She has been a very important figure to all of my success; she guided me through the path that has led me to reach my goals – a path that I did not know was possible at the beginning,” Arboleda said.

In addition to keeping busy with her schoolwork, Arboleda works three part-time jobs to save money for when she moves away to college. She works at MCC as a multicultural student peer, at Gordmans in Algonquin as a sales associate and at Conscious Cup in Crystal Lake as a barista.

Despite her hectic schedule, Arboleda still finds time to volunteer and stay active in student organizations, including the Latinos Unidos club at MCC and as editor of her high school yearbook. In her free time, she enjoys baking. She also performs community service when she has time.

“Whenever possible, I enjoy volunteering at local places in the community, such as the Crystal Lake Food Pantry or the Salvation Army.”

In high school, she was involved in various activities, including Gator Link, a mentoring program for incoming freshmen, fundraising, AmeriCorps of McHenry County and was a member of the Crystal Lake South girls tennis team for three years.

Staying ahead is important for Arboleda and this summer, she will complete requirements for a business management certificate through MCC’s Fast Track program, which puts her at an advantage if she decides to minor in business or pursue an MBA. Arboleda said her goal is to become a professional architect and specialize in sustainable buildings.

When asked what advice she has for other teens, Arboleda said MCC is a good choice for high school students who want to get a jump-start on their futures.

“I highly recommend MCC because it is a great place to achieve any educational or professional goal. Being prepared for a better future is the best thing everybody can do. Having MCC in our community is such an advantage to people because it offers good programs, it is very convenient and it is less expensive than a four-year college.”

“I had a very busy and challenging time, but I recommend parents take a look at this great opportunity for their children. As a teenager, I understand my peers, but we don’t need to spend so much time doing nothing. Summer is a great time to advance and start credit classes.”

Arboleda's parents express their pride in their daughter's educational success.

“We are very proud and excited with her progress,” said Delia Arboleda, Laura’s
mother, who emigrated to the U.S. from Venezuela with her husband, Reinaldo, when Laura was three years old and Karla was one.

Arboleda’s parents instilled a strong work ethic in their daughters, Laura and Karla, who is a high school sophomore who is following her sister’s footsteps and has already earned 37 college credits from MCC.

“Laura saw that we struggled a lot with the language in the workplace,” Arboleda said. “We told them education is very important. Since they do not have the same language barriers as we had, we encouraged them to take advantage of the educational opportunities available, especially during the summer months.”

McHenry County College's Running Start is part of the High School Plus program that allows high school students to enroll in college classes and earn college credit in high school. High School Plus features three options a high school student can choose to earn college credit, including Running Start, College in High School
and Partnerships for College and Career Success (PCCS) – formerly called Tech Prep.

This opportunity is available to students who demonstrate strong academic ability
based on performance either inside or outside the classroom.

MCC’s High School Plus program is a rapidly growing program, with 1,325 high
school students earning college credit, up from 534 students in 2010,
representing a 148 percent increase. Many students work toward college certificates such as accounting, automotive, fire science, criminal justice, EMT, early childhood education, computer literacy, introduction to computer aided drafting (CAD),culinary, health fitness education, manufacturing, robotics and Basic Nursing Assistant then continue in an occupational career. Others are getting college prerequisites out of the way to finish college faster in English Composition, Music Appreciation, and Spanish.

Occupational courses offered by the college are: automotive technology, basic nurse assisting, digital media (Internet game design) early childhood education, fire science, criminal justice, emergency medical services, and culinary management, health fitness education, and robotics.

“More people are seeing the value in taking college classes in high school and are better prepared for success due to the rigor of the dual credit classes once
they move on to continue their education at MCC or a four-year college,” said
Tony Capalbo, associate dean for College and Career Readiness.

High School Plus is all about getting ahead, being prepared for college rigor, earning college credit and being cost-effective, Capalbo said, adding that the program also builds partnerships with area high schools.

“College in the High School offers college credit with no tuition or fees attached while other programs are offered at MCC’s normal tuition which is a great value compared to a four-yearuniversity’s cost,” Capalbo said. “We would like parents and students to know that this program provides a valuable education for a minimal cost, and gives students more flexibility at the college level.”

“By earning college credit in high school, it motivates some of the students to continue their education at MCC or at a four-year college because they are halfway there.”

Regarding Arboleda, Capalbo said “her achievement is exceptional. Few achieve what she has. Students who are interested in earning college credit while still in high school must be bright, dedicated, and have the passion to reach their goals.”